Layla Moran

The Government is clear that equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of our programme of national renewal and every Mission. This includes actively considering the needs of older women and ensuring that they are not discriminated against. The Equality Act 2010 contains strong protections for older women in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services. The Act prohibits discrimination because of age and harassment related to age. In addition, the Employment Rights Bill will introduce robust measures to further safeguard working women, including gender pay gap and menopause action plans.

The Government recognises the challenges some older women can face and is committed to ensuring that support systems are in place These include improving older people’s participation online through the new Digital Inclusion Action plan, employment support through Jobcentres, and addressing healthcare inequality in the 10 Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information which shows the number of offences charged by way of the Vagrancy Act 1824 in which a prosecution commenced. The table below shows the number of these offences from 1^st April 2020 to 30^th September 2025.

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants prosecuted. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Volumes provided for the financial year 2020-2021 have been impacted due to court closures and recovery during Covid-19 from Mid-March to the end of June 2020.

The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 required the Government to lay regulations to establish the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme within three months of the passing of the Act. On 23 August, we laid regulations that will give the Infected Blood Compensation Authority the powers necessary to pay compensation through the core route to the infected, both living and deceased. The Government expects the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to begin making payments to people who are infected under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme by the end of this year. Payments to the affected are expected to begin in 2025, following a second set of regulations. Regarding other provisions of the Act, applications for interim payments of £100,000 to the estates of deceased people, whose deaths have not yet been recognised by a previous interim payment, will open in October. The Government takes its responsibilities under the Victims and Prisoners Act seriously and is doing everything possible to deliver compensation in a timely manner.

The landmark UK-India trade deal includes chapters on labour, gender, environment and anti-corruption. In common with most free trade agreements it enables the two partners to discuss important matters including human rights on a regular basis. It is not our only means of advancing concerns.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network across India track human rights across the country. We engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society.

Regulation is clear that cosmetics must be safe. To demonstrate compliance, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified safety assessor.

Government intends to perform sector reviews of product regulation that will consider hazards that may impact consumer safety. To ensure that regulations reflects modern supply chains we recently introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill enabling government to create a proportionate regulatory framework that will protect UK consumers from risk.

Thank you to the Hon. Member for raising this topic. This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain’s employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. This includes strengthening protections from sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.

Deploying rooftop solar remains a key priority and the Government continues to support installation in various ways, including through tax relief, energy efficiency schemes and the Smart Export Guarantee. Solar can already benefit households by allowing them to reduce electricity bills significantly and receive payment for excess electricity generated. The Government is investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan over the Spending Review period, to help households take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation. Further detail will be set out by October.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems. Heat pumps are the primary supported technology under the scheme. It does not provide financial support for the connection costs for connecting to heat networks or internal heat interface units.

Significant funding to develop new and existing low carbon heat networks across England is provided through the Green Heat Network Fund, which has announced over £506 million in grant awards to date. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will provide further detail on the support available to help property owners transition to cleaner, low carbon heating.

The Department's Heat Networks Team is in regular dialogue with Oxford City Council about their role in Heat Network Zoning and the Oxford Energy Network project. We provided technical support through the early release of our National Zoning Model work and offer commercial support with best practice guidance and templates and signposting to similar Local Authorities. This aims to ensure the private-led heat network benefits Oxford's residents and businesses.

1Energy was awarded capital funding of over £21.956m from the Green Heat Network Fund for the Oxford City project. The fund is delivered by an external partner, Triple Point Heat Network Investment Management, who have regular contact with 1Energy on the progress of the project.

Our assessment of the potential impact of low-carbon heat networks includes monetised air quality benefits based on Green Book (Table 15) fuel consumption standards[1]. Our published consultation stage Zoning Impact Assessment estimated the value of those benefits at between £50m and £270m (2020 prices, 2024 base year) over 40 years. This range includes the health benefits of both reduced NOx and reduced particulate matter.

We are working with Defra to ensure heat network zoning policy contributes to the UK’s wider air quality goals - supporting cleaner air and better public health.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-of-energy-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-for-appraisal - Table 15

The Oxford City heat network, which is being taken forward by 1Energy with support from the Green Heat Network Fund, aims to connect many of the city's historic buildings together. The Department will be monitoring the progress of the project, which is expected to provide many lessons for future heat network development in areas of significant built heritage.

The Online Safety Act gives online platforms duties to tackle illegal content and activity on their services. This includes content advertising illegal sales of drugs. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime, and it sets out steps that providers can take to comply with their duties. Ofcom has strong powers to enforce against platforms that fail to fulfil their duties to protect users from illegal content.

The government is clear that people should only purchase medicines and medical products through legitimate, regulated channels. Anyone with weight or health concerns should consult their GP or a qualified healthcare professional who can provide safe, appropriate treatment options.

Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and I will work closely with mobile network operators who are delivering this.

We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market.

In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reports that 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone 5G) is available outside 82% of UK rural premises from at least one mobile operator, but this falls to 8% from all four operators.

The UK offers ambitious funding for international talent through prestigious fellowships and professorships from UKRI and the National Academies. Our competitive immigration offer, including fast-track visa routes like the Global Talent visa, facilitates high-skilled migration in key sectors, ensuring that universities like the University of Oxford benefit from global talent.

The government recognises the vital role of international specialists in the UK’s Life Sciences sector and supports the Oxford biotech cluster through initiatives like the Global Talent Network, which attracts talented individuals worldwide. In addition, DSIT is collaborating with stakeholders to unlock the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor's potential for growth, investment, and job creation.

While the Online Safety Act (OSA) requires Ofcom to establish an advisory committee on disinformation and misinformation, the process and timing of setting it up remains at Ofcom’s discretion.

Ofcom has confirmed that the Mis/Disinformation Advisory Committee will be established by the end of 2024. It will play an essential role in building understanding and technical knowledge of the challenges relating to mis- and disinformation and how best to tackle them. As such, it is vital that Ofcom has the appropriate time to appoint the best possible committee.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that sport is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Under the Code for Sports Governance, all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) receiving public funding must have robust inclusion policies in place. NGBs are responsible for setting their own policies, taking into account the specific requirements of their sport. They are supported in this through guidance developed by our Sports Councils, who are currently considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on this guidance.

The Government continues to work closely with Sport England to monitor how NGBs deliver on their inclusion targets, ensuring that grassroots sport remains a safe space for everyone to stay active.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that sport is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Under the Code for Sports Governance, all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) receiving public funding must have robust inclusion policies in place. NGBs are responsible for setting their own policies, taking into account the specific requirements of their sport. They are supported in this through guidance developed by our Sports Councils, who are currently considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on this guidance.

The Government continues to work closely with Sport England to monitor how NGBs deliver on their inclusion targets, ensuring that grassroots sport remains a safe space for everyone to stay active.

The department fully recognises the importance of ensuring that any structural changes to local government protect the safety, wellbeing, and life chances of children and young people. The department is already working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to put in place resource, structures and processes that support effective reorganisation, including in relation to provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, to ensure that we improve outcomes for children as these changes take place.

The department is reviewing all local government reorganisation (LGR) proposals and will provide feedback to MHCLG, with a particular emphasis on how proposals will ensure the effective delivery of SEND, children’s social care and education services and reforms. The department will also work with individual local authorities throughout the LGR process to ensure local, contextual knowledge is embedded into feedback provided.

The ‘Early years foundation stage’ (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. Details about the framework are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c024cb8c6d992f23edd79c/Early_years_foundation_stage_statutory_framework_-_for_group_and_school-based_providers.pdf.pdf.

The department has published guidance to inform practitioners about online safety and appropriate device usage in early years settings, including an ‘Internet safety’ page on the Help for Early Years Providers platform here: https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/internet-safety. This includes information on how device use affects development, outlining both benefits and challenges.

Following the publication of new screen time guidance for parents, we will update this page to provide further emphasis on screen time and outline considerations around adult use of technology within settings. We will also incorporate updated guidance into the EYFS frameworks and review Development Matters to include information on screen time and digital literacy.

This government is driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation. Long-term investment is essential to shift the system away from high-cost crisis responses towards earlier support.

In 2025/26, the department more than doubled direct investment in children’s social care prevention services through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. Now we are going even further to reform children’s social care. We are continuing the £523 million available for the Families First Partnership programme in 2025/26 for each year of the Local Government Finance Settlement to 2028/29. We have invested a further £300 million over two years (2026/27 and 2027/28) from the Transformation Fund announced at the Spending Review, and £547 million of new funding announced in the Local Government Funding Policy Statement, meaning £2.4 billion over three years, all ringfenced for prevention and de-escalation. Together this will help to reduce reliance on costly acute services, strengthen earlier intervention and drive forward reforms to children’s social care.

We are also investing £560 million capital funding to refurbish and expand children’s homes and provide more high-quality foster care placements.

Additional funding beyond 2027/28 is subject to the next Spending Review.

This government is driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation. Long-term investment is essential to shift the system away from high-cost crisis responses towards earlier support.

In 2025/26, the department more than doubled direct investment in children’s social care prevention services through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. Now we are going even further to reform children’s social care. We are continuing the £523 million available for the Families First Partnership programme in 2025/26 for each year of the Local Government Finance Settlement to 2028/29. We have invested a further £300 million over two years (2026/27 and 2027/28) from the Transformation Fund announced at the Spending Review, and £547 million of new funding announced in the Local Government Funding Policy Statement, meaning £2.4 billion over three years, all ringfenced for prevention and de-escalation. Together this will help to reduce reliance on costly acute services, strengthen earlier intervention and drive forward reforms to children’s social care.

We are also investing £560 million capital funding to refurbish and expand children’s homes and provide more high-quality foster care placements.

Additional funding beyond 2027/28 is subject to the next Spending Review.

Teaching about democracy and elections already forms a central part of the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4 and can be taught as a non-statutory topic in primary schools. The government will consider the citizenship curriculum in the context of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and we see potential for lowering the voting age to help boost young people's engagement with the subject. We will also work with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments and civil society to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out practical voter and civic education.

On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. Further information can be found here.

Lead Local Flood Authorities are required, under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, to develop and maintain a strategy for managing local flood risk. They also have a duty to collaborate with other flood risk management authorities and to keep a register of flood risk management assets.

During the local government reorganisation process, councils continue to deliver their business‑as‑usual services and duties, which remain unchanged until reorganisation is complete. Commitments undertaken by existing councils will become the responsibility of any new unitary authorities, the exact details of which will be worked out and planned for in the transition period jointly with the new and predecessor councils.

Local government reorganisation remains a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create stronger local councils empowered across local services, equipped to drive economic growth, improve local public services, and empower their communities.

No letter of comfort or formal assurance has been provided by Defra to Thames Water on the financing of the White Horse Reservoir (formerly SESRO).

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.

Flood defences are critical to the protection of life and property and the effective functioning of the economy. Resilience and adaptation to the changing climate provide economic resilience and are key to supporting the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

The Environment Agency gathers data on how flooding affects the economy. The economic losses from the winter 2019 to 2020 flooding are estimated to be about £333 million. However, the economic damage avoided because of the protection provided is at least 14 times greater, at around £4.6 billion to £9.3 billion.

Around 36% of the damages caused by floods are to publicly owned infrastructure like roads, railways, schools and hospitals.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead department for the planning system, and the Department for Transport works with it closely on the impacts of local government reorganisation.

Existing district councils have responsibilities for taxi licencing and spatial planning, but transport infrastructure is generally delivered by county and unitary authorities. New unitary authorities formed by local government reorganisation should have appropriate scale to effectively deliver transport infrastructure projects and, outside of Strategic Authorities, to undertake their local transport authority responsibilities.

The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary approvals and infrastructure are in place. Passenger services will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed. As for the second and third connections phases; the Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR services between Oxford-Bedford. The full Oxford-Cambridge service is subject to an application for a Development Consent Order and is planned to commence from the mid-2030s.

The SAF Bill was introduced on Wednesday 14th May in the House of Commons, with legislative measures to implement an industry-funded revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF production in the UK.

The Bill confirms the government’s position that any funding required should come from a levy on aviation fuel suppliers.

Further work is required to design the allocation process for the revenue certainty mechanism. This will include greater detail regarding the size and timings of the contracts, as well as parameters around pricing. We will maintain a close and ongoing dialogue with industry on options for achieving cost control within the revenue certainty mechanism.

Network Rail consulted the Environment Agency on its Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the planning approval process for the Oxford Rail Station Phase 2 project.

The Department is carefully considering the responses to the consultation, and will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible.